Coleus plant named ‘UF20-27-11’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Coleus (Coleus scutellarioides) plant named ‘UF20-27-11’ selected for having a combination of desirable traits that make it well-suited for good performance as an annual plant in the summer landscape. ‘UF20-27-11’ has novel and contrasting dark red leaf color with prominent chartreuse highlights between the leaf veins and around the leaf margins in a netted pattern. It has very stable leaf color in both sun and shade, is well-branched and vigorous, and maintains its foliage color late into the fall season until frost. ‘UF20-27-11’ has excellent lateral branching with an upright and spreading growth habit, making it suitable for propagators and producers. It has been observed to have long-season performance in landscape trials.

Genus and species: Coleus scutellarioides.

Cultivar denomination: ‘UF20-27-11’.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

N/A.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF FEDERAL RESEARCH SUPPORT

N/A.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW CULTIVAR

The invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Coleus plantnamed ‘UF20-27-11’. The new cultivar ‘UF20-27-11’ originated from anopen pollination conducted in May-November 2019 in Gainesville, Fla.,between the female Coleus plant ‘UF19-39-10’ (unpatented) and an unknownmale Coleus plant. A single seedling was chosen in May 2020 for furtherasexual propagation in Gainesville, Fla.

The new cultivar ‘UF20-27-11’ has been reproduced asexually for over 18months through vegetative meristem tip cuttings and has been found toretain its distinctive characteristics through successive asexualpropagations. ‘UF20-27-11’ was first propagated asexually by vegetativemeristem tip cuttings in May 2020 in Gainesville, Fla., and has remainedtrue-to-type since that time.

Plant Breeder's Rights for the new cultivar ‘UF20-27-11’ have not beenapplied for, and ‘UF20-27-11’ has not been made publicly available morethan one year prior to the filing date of this application.

When compared to the female parent, ‘UF19-39-10’, the new cultivar‘UF20-27-11’ has leaves with lobed margins that are broadly acute at theapex, whereas ‘UF19-39-10’ has leaves with crenate margins and a roundedapex. Additionally, ‘UF20-27-11’ has dark red colored leaves withprominent chartreuse (yellow green) highlights between the leaf veinsand around the leaf margins in a netted pattern, whereas ‘UF19-39-10’has predominantly chartreus-colored leaves with maroon mid-veins.‘UF20-27-11’ is well-branched plant with excellent lateral branching anda vigorous upright and spreading habit that results in a plant growingwider than it grows tall. ‘UF19-39-10’ is just as vigorous as‘UF20-27-11’, but it has less lateral branching with a more uprighthabit that results in a plant growing equally as wide as it grows tall.

The new cultivar ‘UF20-27-11’ was selected because of its vigor, vibrantleaf color, and because of its unique plant habit that fills spacelaterally in the garden. It performs well in both sun and shade with nochange in leaf color. It can withstand the harsh selection conditionsplants are subjected to in greenhouse trials and summer farm trials incentral Florida. ‘UF20-27-11’ has not been observed to produce flowersin any trials. Thus, it is an exceptional plant because it maintains itsfoliage color patterning late into the garden season with minimal plantmaintenance (late into the fall season until frost).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new cultivar ‘UF20-27-11’ has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype of the new cultivar may varywith variations in environment and cultural practices such astemperature, light intensity, fertilization, irrigation, and applicationof plant growth regulators without any change in genotype.

The following are the most outstanding and distinguishingcharacteristics of ‘UF20-27-11’ when grown under normal horticulturalpractices in Gainesville, Fla.: ‘UF20-27-11’ has the combination ofvigorous, upright and spreading growth habit, excellent heat tolerance,and consistent dark red colored leaves with chartreuse highlightsbetween the leaf veins which is significantly different than otherColeus plants; it has superior stability in foliage color in both sunand shade conditions, maintaining leaf color under all conditions; ithas excellent lateral branching, making it suitable for propagators andproducers; and ‘UF20-27-11’ has been observed to have long-seasonperformance in landscape trials in Gainesville, Fla.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

This new Coleus cultivar ‘UF20-27-11’ is illustrated by the accompanyingphotographs, which show the plant's form and foliage. The colors shownare as true as can be reasonably obtained by conventional photographicprocedures. FIG. 2-5 were taken from plants grown ten weeks fromunrooted cuttings in February-April 2022 in a glass-covered greenhousein Gainesville, Fla.

FIG. 1 shows the pedigree of the new Coleus cultivar ‘UF20-27-11’ shownand described herein;

FIG. 2 shows the growth habit, form, and foliage of the new Coleuscultivar;

FIG. 3 shows a close-up view of the foliage of the new Coleus cultivar;and

FIG. 4 shows the adaxial side of an immature leaf (left) and a matureleaf (right) of the new Coleus cultivar with corresponding R.H.S. colordesignations; and

FIG. 5 shows the abaxial side of an immature leaf (left) and a matureleaf (right) of the new Coleus cultivar with corresponding R.H.S. colordesignations.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE CULTIVAR

Foliage color was determined under full sun conditions in the middle ofthe day in a glass-covered greenhouse. Color references are to TheR.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London(R.H.S.), 2007 5th Edition. Coleus leaves are rarely one solid color butencompass hues, shades and tints, and color patterns differ from onegenotype to another due to varying levels of variegation. The followingdetailed description of ‘UF20-27-11’ was obtained using ten-week-oldplants grown from unrooted cuttings in February-April 2022 in aglass-covered greenhouse in Gainesville, Fla. The plants were propagatedin mist for ten days after cuttings were stuck, then grown in one-gallonpots for approximately eight and a half additional weeks.

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

-   Botanical classification:    -   -   Family.—Lamiaceae.        -   Botanical name.—Coleus scutellarioides.        -   Common name.—Coleus.        -   Cultivar.—‘UF20-27-11’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female or seed parent.—‘UF19-39-10’.        -   Male or pollen parent.—Unknown.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cuttings.—Vegetative meristem tip cuttings having at            least 1 node.        -   Time to initiate roots.—3-4 days.        -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—7-10 days.        -   Root habit.—Fibrous.        -   Root description.—Callus forms in 2-3 days, roots initiate            in 3-4 days and become a highly branched cutting in 7-10            days.-   Plant description:    -   -   Habit.—Upright and spreading.        -   Height (from top of soil).—30-35 cm.        -   Width (horizontal plant diameter).—75-80 cm.-   Branches:    -   -   Quantity per plant.—Approximately 12.        -   Branch color.—RHS 141D (yellow green).        -   Texture.—Smooth.        -   Pubescence.—Not present.        -   Stem description.—Square-shaped stem.        -   Branch diameter.—0.9-1.0 cm at the base of a 25-cm-long            branch.        -   Branch length.—24-28 cm.        -   Internode length.—3-4 cm measured at mid-branch.        -   Anthocyanin.—Not present.-   Leaves:    -   -   Quantity of leaves per branch.—19-20.        -   Arrangement.—Opposite.        -   Fragrance.—Not fragrant.        -   Shape.—Ovate.        -   Length.—12-14 cm.        -   Width.—11-12 cm.        -   Apex.—Broadly acute.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Margin.—Crenate.        -   Leaf texture.—Upper surface: Pulverulent. Lower surface:            Smooth.        -   Venation color, mature leaf.—Upper surface: RHS N186A            (purplish grey). Lower surface: RHS 141D (yellow green).        -   Venation color, immature leaf.—Upper surface: RHS N186A            (purplish grey). Lower surface: RHS 142B (yellow green).        -   Venation pattern.—Upper surface: Reticulate. Lower surface:            Reticulate.        -   Color, immature leaf.—Upper surface, major color: RHS 183A            (dark red). Upper surface, edges and spots: RHS N144A            (yellowish green). Lower surface, major color: RHS 141C            (yellowish green). Lower surface, color around veins: RHS            N186C (greyish red).        -   Color, mature leaf.—Upper surface, major color: RHS 187A            (dark red). Upper surface, edges and spots: RHS 144A (yellow            green). Upper surface, base: RHS 144A (yellow green). Lower            surface, major color: RHS 139B (yellowish green). Lower            surface, color around veins: RHS 187A (dark red).        -   Petiole length.—5-6 cm.        -   Petiole diameter.—0.3-0.4 cm.        -   Petiole color, mature leaf (both upper and lower            surfaces).—RHS 143C (yellow green).        -   Petiole color, immature leaf.—Upper surface: RHS 144B            (yellow green). Lower surface: RHS 141C (yellowish green).        -   Petiole texture.—Smooth, no pubescence.-   Flowers and seeds: Flowers and seeds have not been observed to date    during formal trials in Gainesville, Fla.-   Fruit/seed set: Fruit/seed not observed.-   Disease and insect resistance: Disease and insect resistance is    typical of the species, thus no claims are made of any superior    disease or insect resistance with this cultivar. The most common    insect pests observed on this plant in Gainesville, Fla., have been    long-tailed or citrus mealybugs (Pseudococcus spp.), which occur on    older stock plant material held in the greenhouse for over 3-4    months. Impatiens Necrotic Spot Virus (Bunyaviridae) has also been    observed in plants confined in greenhouses with mixed crops    (peppers) infected with Western flower thrips (Frankliniella    occidentalis). The most common pathogen of this species in the U.S.    is downy mildew (Perononspora lamii). This pathogen has been    observed in stock materials grown closely together in cooler growing    seasons.

COMPARISON WITH KNOWN CULTIVARS

When the new cultivar ‘UF20-27-11’ is compared to the commercialcultivar ‘UF10-45-12’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 27,126, commercial name“Coleosaurus”), ‘UF20-27-11’ has leaves with prominent dark redcoloration with some yellow green coloration along the leaf margin andveins colored purplish grey, whereas ‘UF10-45-12’ has leaves with anequal amount of yellow green and dark red coloration, with the dark redcoloration being predominately along the leaf veins.

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct Coleus scutellarioides plantnamed ‘UF20-27-11’ as shown and described herein.